Polls open in UK election after campaign marred by attacks

LONDON: UK polls today opened with about 46 million eligible voters expected to cast their ballot to choose between Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn under the looming shadow of the two deadly terror attacks that recently rocked the country.

The odds seem to be in favour of May holding on to her job as the British Prime Minister who called for snap polls 52 days ago.

Polls close at 10 p m UK time (2.30 am IST), with results expected to begin rolling in within an hour or so after voting finishes.

May, 60, called the election three years earlier than scheduled ahead of what are expected to be tough negotiations with the European Union over Britain's exit from the 28- member-bloc.

More than 46 million people are eligible to vote in what is the fourth major UK poll in three years, following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the 2015 general election, and the 2016 Brexit vote.

The UK was recently rocked by two terror attacks.

Seven people were killed on Saturday when three men aboard a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge and went on a stabbing spree before being shot by police.

The second attack took place on May 22 when 22 people were killed and 116 injured in a suicide bombing at Manchester Arena.